A survey for the FSA found that many people are putting their health at risk when cooking at home.

More than 36% of people questioned for the survey admitted to washing raw chicken before cooking it. Washing raw meat, such as chicken, can spread harmful bacteria.

Moreover, 85% of those who did not check 'use by' dates, said they relied on sniffing food to determine if it was still safe to eat.

Kitchen clangers

Other common kitchen clangers revealed in the survey of 2,199 people, conducted in May, include:

• 43% of respondents said they would eat food after a 'use by date'
• 35% said they do not check 'use by' dates
• 29% would eat food after it has been dropped on the floor
• 21% do not wash hands properly before preparing food

The FSA warns the meals you prepare for yourself, your family and friends can be a source of food poisoning.

Every year, there are more than a million cases of food poisoning in the UK, including 20,000 hospitalisations and 500 deaths.

However, most respondents in the survey (93%) believe they have never given family or friends food poisoning.

If they do fall ill themselves, only 5% of those quizzed consider whether the cleanliness of their own kitchen is the cause.

Bob Martin, food safety expert at the FSA, said: "By not washing their hands before preparing food at home, or ignoring 'use by' dates, people could be setting themselves and their friends or family up for a bout of really unpleasant illness."

Encouragingly, 95% of those surveyed said they washed chopping boards in between preparing raw and ready-to-eat food.

Kitchen hygiene tips

The FSA's seven steps to kitchen hygiene:

1. Clearing space Clear work surfaces of things you won't need and clean them with hot, soapy water or disinfectant. Get pets out of the way.

2. Hand washing Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, rinse well and dry.

3. Fridge  Make sure your fridge is set between 0°C and 5°C. Keep raw meat and poultry in covered containers on the bottom shelf to avoid contaminating other foods.

4. Chopping board Wash your board and other utensils in hot soapy water when you've finished using them and in between preparing raw and ready-to-eat food.

5. Cloths Change or wash your tea towels, sponges, aprons and dish cloths at least once a week.

6. Cleaning Use disinfectant and cleaning products meant for use in the kitchen. They have been specially formulated to be effective against germs while being safe to use around food.

7. Cooking Cook poultry, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs until steaming hot with no pink meat left inside and juices run clear.